27. Chapter 27
Chapter 27
Wolf
I’m at the bar, staring into my empty glass when Joker sits beside me. I don’t bother to look up. Frankly, the world is kinda spinning right now anyway so I’m pretty sure it’s not a good idea.
Beyond assuring Miriam that her sister is alive and well, I haven’t spoken about Lilli. What’s to say? She made her choice.
Besides, I’m relieved. Now I don’t have to worry about her catching feelings and as soon I can move my tongue, I’ll find another bitch to sate my needs.
“You okay, son?” Joker says and I blink open one eye. Yep, the world is definitely spinning.
“Fine,” I grunt. I suppose I should thank him for sending Draven to find Lilli. I went a little crazy wondering if she was okay. Finding out she was back at school pretty as you please was confusing, but I knew her parents are a nightmare and so, like the fool I am, I road in there like I’m a white fucking knight or some shit.
Meanwhile, she spoke her pretty lies, expecting me to believe them.
The better part of me wanted to leave my seed inside her pristine womb because someday when she fucks another, my mark will always be there. Instead, I walked because I knew it was a slippery slope between what I want and her needs.
Now, I’m sitting here getting drunk while Joker stares at me with what I do believe is pity in his eyes. I don’t need any fucker’s pity.
“I’m out,” I slur before standing. Joker catches my arm, but I wrench away, and he says, his hands in the air, “We got news. Go sober up.”
News? For a moment, I have no idea what he's talking about and then it sinks in. Rose. While I was getting pathetically drunk over Lilli, Joker was still searching for my sister.
It’s the reminder I need and nodding curtly, I stalk into the kitchen and grab a cup of coffee.
I feel like death warmed over and I might puke any minute now, but I can look at Joker without seeing three of him. I’m calling it progress.
The guys slink into church and sit around me, but I ignore the wary stares as Joker stalks in and slams his fist on the table. I know what they think but they’re wrong. This isn’t me pining over some strawberry blonde, nope, this is a reminder. Women don’t belong in this world. Just ask my mother…
Silence falls while I wait greedily for something to focus on. I’ve never felt more fucking ready to unleash my rage. My skin practically vibrates with it.
“Seems some fucker goes by the name Boner was at Danny’s house.”
“Boner?” Romeo guffaws and I sit up. That place was empty when I went there the other day and who the fuck is Boner?
Joker rolls his eyes and barks, “Quiet down.”
The guys settle down once more and Joker’s gaze moves to me. “Place was shot up. Buncha wannabe thugs and their women dead.”
Dead. Women.
I search his gaze with my heart in my throat and when he shakes his head, I lean over my knees, exhaling quietly. Thank fuck.
We may not get along. We may never get along, but I love my sister just as much as Duke, sitting next to me. It doesn’t matter if she hates me for who I am.
The revelation rolls through me, and I rub my brow. Accepting the truth isn’t always easy, this I know from years of hating my own damn mother. Lilli was cut from the same cloth. Shit, she even spent her life listening to her daddy spout off against us.
It’s no wonder she chose the path she’s already on. I just wish Rose had done the same because hating me and what my MC represents, sure didn’t stop her from dating a thug.
I don’t know what inspired Lilli to go back to her parents though but it’s a moot point. I’ve got zero jurisdiction at the Abernathy house.
Setting aside the burn, I whip up when Joker says, “One of Jersey’s experiments fessed up. Pack up, we’ve got a new lead.”
As the guys exit, I approach Joker. I know I’ve been a total ass since I saw Lilli. If anyone can see behind the mask it's him. Sometimes I hate that, but when he grins and slaps me on the back, I know all is well between us.
“Do you think we’ll find them this time?” I ask. It’s been too long. Every day that we don’t find her, is another day she’s hurt, hungry, and fucking scared.
Joker searches my gaze, his brows furrowed before saying, “I do.”
Having hope is a slippery fucking slope but I feel the brutal burn as Joker winks and stalks from the room. After a moment, I follow him out to the front of the building where my brothers are suiting up for the coming confrontation.
Romeo, whose road name matches his reputation with the ladies, laughs at something Trike says before mounting his bike. Cash tosses a box of ammo at Duke’s chest which he grabs out of the air with a nod of thanks. Jersey tinkers with something in his hand while Maddox glares broodily into the distance behind him.
These are my brothers, committed to the good fight even though Rose has forsaken them. This is what family is all about and what so many refuse to see. We take care of our own—always.
“Let’s roll,” Joker shouts and I mount my bike, turning my focus to what’s coming. Tonight, I bring home my sister and that’s all that fucking matters.
We spread out as we approach the house. Duke has my flank while Maddox and Romeo went to the West, Cash and Jersey went East and Hand stayed back at the entrance. Joker plans to walk right up to the fucking door.
Much like our compound, this house sits on several acres of property with nothing but trees and wildlife surrounding it. There’s one access point off the highway which two men patrol.
After hours of mind-numbing surveillance, we know at a minimum that they have four other guards on rotation at any given time. They trade out every two hours, which means we’ve seen upwards of eighteen of these assholes in the last few hours.
We left our bikes down the road at an abandoned mill, surrounded by the tall grass in the fields beyond. It’s not ideal for a fast getaway but they’re too loud and would signal our approach before we’re ready.
Although there’s light beyond the curtains in the home, we can’t see inside because they’re all drawn, which means we’ll be going in blind.
I haven’t heard a single brother complain though. This is it. I can feel it. Rose is somewhere inside that house and I’m not fucking leaving without her.
When Jersey does his fancy bird call, Duke and I approach Fucker Number One, who’s leaning against a tree and puffing on a cigarette. His semi-automatic rifle rests on his arm as he inhales and coughs.
“Looks like the motherfucker is bored,” Duke hisses and the man stiffens. Before he can turn, I grab him by the skull and slam his head against the tree. This serves to daze the asshole.
Duke takes the gun, and I pull my knife from the sheath in my boot. Leaning down, I stare into the man’s eyes and flash my teeth. It’s the last thing he sees before I run the blade across his throat.
His lifeblood immediately flows and with a grunt, I wipe my knife on his shoulder and stand. That was too fucking easy. Dammit.
Duke and I hurry to the next checkpoint but when we arrive, the guard is already laid out with Jersey standing over him.
“What the fuck?” I grunt and Jersey raises his eyes to mine. The pale blue irises, almost colorless in the dim light, reflect absolutely nothing.
This is Jersey in war mode, and I give a brief thought to be thankful he’s on our side when he says, “I took out the trash.”
I’m not given time to respond, and Duke makes a weird noise in his throat which I ignore. Jersey has his own demons and right now, he’s putting them to good fucking use.
Turning away, Jersey does another one of those weird bird whistles, signaling the all-clear and Joker stalks to the door. Romeo and Cash should be on the other side while Hand takes care of the guards at the entrance and maintains a lookout.
As soon as I’m at his back, Joker kicks open the door. With my gun drawn, I pop off two shots at a man who turns from where he was leaning against the wall. He drops with a groan while Joker pushes past him.
In the main room, where only the shadows behind the curtains provided a map of activity within, all hell breaks loose. These douches were busy playing poker while their brethren were dying outside. Assholes.
The five men at the table have no time to respond as we fire a volley of shots. I hit the fucker on the right, whose wide eyes meet mine before they blink out.
Joker takes out the one facing the opposite direction. Romeo appears on the other side, shooting the two men closest to him. I’m not sure who got the fifth as Cash appears and points over his shoulder. “Incoming.”
We knew there would be at least eighteen of these fuckers. With the six outside dead and now six more, that leaves a handful to dispose of assuming there aren’t more.
Cash spins on his heel and raises his gun before shouting, “Down.”
Without thought, I drop to my knees as a flash illuminates the room and the remaining Aces’ file inside followed by a fucking boom. The foundation of the house shakes. The table with the dead Aces explodes, and wood flies everywhere.
My ears ring as I try to see beyond the acrid smoke stinging my lungs. When I glance back at Duke, I meet his wide eyes before he nods. Game on.
Shouts fill the space followed by the sharp report of more shots fired. I follow the wall around the room, taking my own shots when I have the opportunity.
An Ace falls at my feet and wiping my sweaty brow, I step over him. With two shots for my next victim, I stop to reload as silence descends.
When I glance up, Joker appears wearing a fanatical smile. “Lights out, motherfuckers.”
With a matching grin, I approach the hall where the last Aces came through. Cash comes up behind me and says, “Didn’t see any others, but you know…”
Nodding, I step down the hall with Cash behind me and Jersey taking up the rear. We clear the rooms beyond before searching the rest of the house.
There are no more Aces but there’s also no Rose.
“In here,” someone shouts, and I push past Cash into the kitchen where Romeo stands before an open door. When I stop behind him, I spy the stairs leading into the basement.
“Jersey’s down there,” Romeo says.
It’s dark but I see a faint glow at the bottom. With my heart in my throat, I tap Cash on the shoulder. He steps aside in silent agreement, but I’m forced to pause when Joker grabs my arm.
“Easy does it,” he rasps.
With my back against the wall, I descend the steps which curve into the basement at the bottom. There’s a wall between me and whatever is down there which will only be revealed once I reach that curve.
Since I don’t know what waits for me, I’m cautious but maybe a little too eager as I stop before the curve and glance back.
Somehow Duke ended up right behind me. It’s not ideal because, in this, I’d rather protect my brother, but I know that’s not my job. He’s a grown man with a family on the way. He doesn’t need me holding him back. Not anymore.
With a nod, I tip my head around the wall. My stomach drops when I spy the small figure curled into a ball in the corner, resting on the concrete floor beside which Jersey kneels.
From here, I can’t see if it’s Rose, but I do know it’s a woman. The basement is empty but for her and Jersey with a single chair sitting in the middle of the room, and a bucket in the corner. There are no doors or places for anyone to hide and I drop my gun to my side before approaching the woman.
The closer I get, the more I see, and rage circles my spine. She’s shackled to the wall, her dark hair matted with dirt and grime, so much so, that I think for a moment it’s not my sister until she turns her face.
Her eyes are swollen closed. She’s been brutally beaten, and I work my throat before dropping to my knees. “Rose?” I whisper.
She flinches, cowering against the wall before her hands spasm around the chains she’s gripping tightly and she croaks, “Wolf?”
“That’s right, Rosie. It’s me,” I rasp, and her mouth opens on a silent cry as tears fill her painfully bruised eyes.
“Wolf…” she sobs, and I touch her hair.
“Sh,” I say through the lump in my throat. We found my sister, thank fuck but not before she suffered shit that I can’t even begin to imagine.
Bowing my head, I try to form the words to soothe her but, in the end, all I can say is, “I’m sorry.”